Blessings
by Stromboli
Summary: Every once in a while, you should count them. Toph gets a pep-talk from Sokka. Tokka-ish flavored.


_I'm fan fic-ing again. OH GOD._

_I've started following Legend of Korra, which has got all of my old Avatar ships up and running, so I thought I'd write a little Tokka piece. Enjoy._

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"– But then the last one, he tried to hide in the crates. He didn't know the cargo they were stealing was scorpion-crabs! I swear, I have never heard a man squeal that loud in my life."

Toph grinned as her friends roared with laughter at her tale. It had become something of a ritual for them all, getting together every weekend to have tea and swap stories. Katara and Aang would talk about the kids, Toph told about her work as Chief of Police, and Sokka did everything he could to make his councilman duties sound exciting. After all their adventures, having structure in their lives was a luxury.

Through the open window they heard the clock tower chime the half hour. "Two-thirty already?" Aang said, stretching and scratching his beard. "We had better get going. Katara's got a checkup at the healer's."

"Last one, I should think," Toph said as Aang helped his very pregnant wife to her feet.

"Oof. With any luck," said Katara with a smile. "This one's a kicker. Even worse than Kya."

"Still hoping for an airbender, Twinkletoes?"

Aang chuckled. "Perhaps a little. It would be a real shame if I never got to pass on my fabled marble trick." Toph laughed and slapped his shoulder.

"Well, maybe third time's the charm." She hugged the Avatar, kissed Katara on the cheek and bade them farewell. Turning to the table, she started cleaning up after tea. "What about you, O Great Councilman? Got some thrilling paperwork to go do?" Sokka smiled and shook his head, helping her collect up the cups.

"Technically, yes. But it can wait." He watched her intently as they carried the tea things into the kitchen. "What's on your mind, Toph?"

Toph busied herself at the sink. "What do you mean?"

"I mean you're not yourself today. What's wrong?" When she didn't answer, he caught her wrist and pulled her around to face him. "C'mon. What's up?"

"It's nothing," Toph said dismissively, tugging out of Sokka's grasp. "What's with the mother hen routine? That's supposed to be Katara's territory." She went back to the sink and Sokka folded his arms across his chest.

"I hear Jun broke up with you." Toph snorted but made no other reply. "You okay?"

Toph threw the copper teapot into the sink. It clanged loudly, smashing one of the earthenware tea cups and splattering the counters with water. "You wanna know how I am, Sokka? Really?" Her shoulders hunched and she gripped the edge of the counter so hard the granite began to crack under her fingers. "No, I'm not okay, alright? I'm not–" She huffed and scrubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. Sokka rested his hand gently on her shoulder.

"What happened?"

She swallowed and said, very quietly, "I'm pregnant."

"Congratulations," said Sokka. Toph gave a bark of derisive laughter.

"Yeah, sure." She brushed off his hand and stepped away from him. "It's a real blessing."

"Is that why Jun left?"

She nodded.

"I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. It's just as well I got shot of that stinking weasel-snake now rather than later." She boosted herself up to sit on the counter, tapping her heels against the cupboard beneath her. For a long time they stayed like that, on opposite sides of the kitchen, silent except for the tapping of her heels. Then suddenly she said "He was afraid it'd be like me, born blind like me. And he said… what if it's not a bender? What if it can't – function like I do?" The words gushed from her, like she couldn't stop. Sokka could see that she was shaking. Her voice was growing shrill and brittle, but she kept speaking. "I work all of the time, I'm never around, and he said he couldn't– he said he didn't want to be a slave to my… my damaged offspring his whole life."

Toph bit her lip and squeezed her eyes shut, tears running down her face. In two strides, Sokka crossed the kitchen and pulled her into a tight hug. He held her close as she clung to him and sobbed, murmuring those meaningless things that people say to someone who's hurting. It's fine, don't worry, it will be all right. It was a long time before Toph calmed down. They stood in silence a while again, her head resting on his shoulder and his arms around her waist. This time it was Sokka that broke it.

"You know, he forgot one thing about you."

"Oh? What's that?" Toph mumbled.

"You're the very best at everything you do." Toph pushed away a little, but Sokka kept one arm around her and cupped her chin with his other hand. "Toph Bei Fong, you are the greatest earthbender in the world. The greatest metalbender. The greatest chief. And you are going to be the greatest mother a child could hope for."

Toph gave him a watery smile and hugged him back. "Thanks, Sokka," she said. He kissed the top of her head and smiled in return.

"Of course."


End file.
